Heels Down Hofstra in Top 10 Battle
from press release
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. - Sophomore Billy Bitter scored
four goals and the Tar Heels had an eight goal second half as #10
North Carolina downed #7 Hofstra, 13-8, in front of 6,661 at James
M. Shuart Stadium Saturday night. The Tar Heels, with their second
straight win, improved to 10-4 on the season. Hofstra, which had
its seven-game winning streak snapped, is now 9-2 on the year.
In addition to Bitter, junior Sean Delaney tallied three goals-all
in the second half- and one assist while senior middie Ben Hunt
posted two goals and two assists. Junior Gavin Petracca notched two
goals while his freshman brother James recorded nine saves in the
UNC cage for his second win of the season. Hofstra was led by
sophomore attackman Jay Card with four goals, red-shirt freshman
Kevin Ford had a goal and an assist, and freshman goalie Andrew
Gvozden posted 12 saves in the Pride net.
North Carolina scored five times in the third quarter to erase a
6-5 Hofstra halftime lead and take a 10-7 lead into the fourth
quarter. Delaney scored twice in the 4-0 run to open the third with
Hunt and Bitter scoring the other two. Card scored his fourth of
the game and 26th of the year with 5:17 to play in the third to cut
the Pride deficit to 9-7. But Gavin Petracca scored his second of
the game and 20th of the year two minutes later to give UNC a 10-7
advantage.
Kevin Ford scored his 10th of the year just 1:10 into the fourth
quarter to bring Hofstra to within two at 10-8. But Bitter notched
his fourth of the game and 33rd of the season with 11:03 to play to
start a three-goal UNC spurt that put the game away.
North Carolina got on the board first 2:35 into the contest as Hunt
fired a bullet from 15 yards out for a 1-0 lead. Pride freshman
Brad Loizeaux scored on a jumping, twisting shot off the right side
of the crease to tie the game almost four minutes later. But the
Tar Heels scored the next three goals as Petracca, Bart Wagner and
Bitter scored unanswered goals to take a 4-1 lead 2:23 into the
second quarter.
But the Pride came roaring back, scoring three straight goals and
five of the next six to take a one-goal lead at halftime. Card
scored his 23rd of the year 38 seconds later. Junior middie Tom
Interlicchio notched his third of the year with 9:35 to play in the
half on a bullet from 20 yards, and Card tied the game with a
man-up goal, off a perfect pass from Michael Colleluori, to tie the
game at 4-4 with 6:05 to play in the second.
A minute later Bitter scored his second of the game on a diagonal
run from behind the cage to give the Tar Heels a 5-4 lead. But
Hofstra sophomore Stephen Bentz scored his fourth of the season off
a pass from Anthony Muscarella on a man-up situation with 3:03 to
play, and Card notched his sixth hat-trick of the year 10 seconds
later to give the Pride a 6-5 lead at halftime.
North Carolinaoutshot the Pride, 39-31 and picked up 37 ground
balls to Hofstra's 25. The Tar Heels also benefited at the face-off
X as Shane Walterhoefer won 17 of 25 face-offs.
